Care
by malic124
Summary: In this FanFic, Brendan Hopkins returns as the security guard of the Naked Brothers Band. As they are preparing for their third studio album to hit stores, Brendan receives some devastating news, which causes him to be the one who needs care, instead of providing it himself. This takes place in early Summer 2009.
1. Chapter 1

Brendan sat with Cooper in the master control room while the band was playing through one of their songs, in preparation for their third studio album to be released. Summer vacation had started only three days earlier, and the band had performed for Amigos Middle School at the promotion ceremony, where they all earned awards for high grades throughout their middle school years.

Midway through the song the band was recording, a voice spoke in the earpiece Brendan was wearing. As the head of security for the band, he wanted to make sure he had direct contact with other security personnel at all times, hence the ear pieces he and everyone else in security wore.

"Hey Brendan," hissed the voice of Tuffy, the band's driver.

"What's up?" Brendan asked.

"You've got a phone call on line one. It's your dad. Want me to patch him through?"

"Yeah, sure, go ahead," Brendan replied. A few seconds later, the phone in the booth rang and Brendan answered it.

"Hey, Dad," he said.

Meanwhile, Nat and the rest of the band were playing the bridge of the song they were recording. As they continued playing, Nat noticed Brendan standing up on the phone, with an angry expression on his face; he seemed to be yelling into the phone. When the song was over, they all sat down their instruments, having all noticed Brendan's phone antics, and followed Nat into the booth.

"Look, Dad, I realize you want me to be there, but I just can't right now," Brendan said in annoyed voice. After a few seconds he angrily said, "Well fine, if that's how you feel about it, then forget me coming to the party! If you don't want me to enjoy time with my friends, Dad, that's fine, but you're not gonna drag me along to some stupid office function just so you can show me off to all of your co-workers. Now, goodbye!"

With that, Brendan slammed the phone down on the receiver and looked up at the rest of the band. His expression softened when he saw them.

"Hey guys, nice take in there. I'll have to listen to the second half later, since I got this call."

"Everything okay, Brendan?" Nat asked.

Brendan sighed. "Yeah, it's fine. Just my Dad and I had an argument over the phone. He wants me to come to some stupid family event his work is doing that I've never at a good time at before. But it's okay. I won't go."

"Well, Brendan," Rosalina said. "Don't you think you should spend some time with your family? I mean, we'll be okay here at rehearsal, you know."

"I know, it's just that he knows I don't like these things, but he still tries to get me to go to them," said Brendan earnestly. "Guys don't worry about it. You've got enough on your minds without worrying about me and my family stuff. Listen, I'm gonna go out for lunch, if my parents call, tell them I'll give them a call back, okay?"

"Sure thing," Nat said, nodding. "Have a good lunch."

For the next hour, the band continued work on their new song; recording and re-recording different sections of it for the perfect take. During the middle of a take, they stopped abruptly when they saw Cooper standing up and tapping on the window.

"Cooper, what is it?" Nat asked.

"You'd better come in here. I've got Brendan's Mom on the line, and she's got some bad news. She says she wants to talk to you, Nat," Cooper replied.

"Take ten, guys," Nat said to the rest of the band.

"Milk break!" called out Alex, making everyone else laugh.

Nat put down his guitar he was playing and walked into the master control room. He saw Cooper on the phone, with a grim expression on his face.

"He's here right now, Mrs. Hopkins. Just one moment," Cooper said, before handing the phone to Nat. "It's pretty bad," he added in a whisper.

Nat gave him a look of confusion before bringing the receiver up to his ear.

"Hi, Mrs. Hopkins," he said.

"Hi there, Nat," Brendan's Mom said in a teary voice. "Is Brendan around?"

"No, he's not here. He's out at lunch right now. Do you need me to pass along a message?"

"Yes, I do, Nat. Umm, I'm not exactly sure how to say this, but Brendan's father passed away half an hour ago."

"What?" Nat said in a shocked voice as the rest of the band came into the booth to see what was going on. "Oh my god, that's horrible, Mrs. Hopkins."

"Nat, what's up?" Alex asked. Nat shook his arm at him.

"How did it happen?" Nat asked.

The band watched as Nat's facial expression darkened further as the conversation dragged on.

"Oh, this is horrible news, Mrs. Hopkins," Nat said, rubbing his forehead. "How are you doing?"

"Nat, what is it?" Alex asked. Nat shook his hand again.

"Oh, I just feel awful about this. What can I do? What can the band do?" After a few seconds, Nat said, "Well, yeah, go ahead and call all of them. And Brendan will call you as soon as he gets back. We'll take care of everything. Okay, sure. Bye."

Nat put the phone back on the receiver and seemed lost for words.

"Nat, what happened?" Alex asked.

Nat looked up at his brother. "Brendan's Dad died," he replied shortly.

The rest of the band let out a simultaneous gasp.

"Oh, my god," Rosalina whispered.

"What happened? Was he sick?" asked Thomas.

"No, it was a heart attack, sudden."

"Oh, that's awful, poor Brendan," Rosalina said.

"Listen guys, they are flying the body and Mrs. Hopkins back to Brendan's hometown tomorrow, and I told her we'll go with."

"Of course," said David.

"Yeah, anything for Brendan," added Qaasim.

"Cooper, I'll need you to get Brendan on the first flight out of here tomorrow morning, and then find one sometime in the afternoon for the rest of us."

"I'm on it," said Cooper, whipping out his cell phone and dialing a number.

"You guys take the rest of the day off. We'll take a few days off so we can be with Brendan during this. He's always been there for us, it's high time we're there for him when he needs it. Go on, home and I'll have Cooper call you all with details on a flight for tomorrow."

The rest of the band nodded and left the booth. Alex, however, remained behind.

"You okay, Alex?" Nat asked.

"Yeah, I just want to be with Brendan when he finds out," Alex replied in a small voice. "And I think Dad and Jesse should come with us. Brendan always says he likes them."

"I agree," Nat said.

About twenty minutes later, Brendan returned from his lunch and entered the booth, where Nat and Alex sat waiting for him.

"Hey guys!" he exclaimed. "Where did everyone else go?"

"I sent them home for the rest of the day," Nat replied in a heavy voice.

"Why? Did you guys screw up that badly?" Brendan asked, laughing.

"No, it's not that it's…."

"What? What is it?"

"Your Mom called a little while ago."

Brendan's facial expression changed for glee to annoyance. "Oh. Let me guess, she's mad because I don't want to go to that picnic thing, right?"

"Brendan…" Nat said, seeming at a loss for words.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"It's about your Dad," Nat said, standing up.

"My Dad what?"

"He," Nat hesitated, looking at Alex, desperate for help. Alex just nodded at him silently. "He had a heart attack shortly after you left Brendan." Brendan opened his mouth in shock. "He-he didn't make it, Brendan."

"Oh my god," Brendan whispered with a look of shock etched onto his face.

"He fell asleep on his recliner in his office and he never woke up. He didn't suffer at all."

"A heart attack?" Brendan said. "I can't believe it. I just talked to him and he sounded fine."

"I know," Nat whispered.

"What about Mom?" Brendan asked as his voice started to break. "I should call - " He made to turn to the phone before Nat grabbed his arm.

"She's holding up real well, she's holding up real well," he said as Brendan burst into tears. Nat pulled him into a hug.

"Cooper booked you onto a flight first thing in the morning since they're flying him back to your hometown," Nat said quietly while Brendan sobbed into his shoulder. Alex stood up next to them and patted Brendan's back.

"And as soon as we tie up the loose ends here, we'll get a flight and me and the rest of the band will be down as soon as we can."

"Okay, okay," Brendan said in a tone barely louder than a whisper. Suddenly, he withdrew from Nat's hug. "Oh! Oh no!"

"It's okay, you don't have to pack or anything, we'll get it - "

"No, you don't understand! Dad called this morning and wanted me to go to that picnic and we had that fight! I could've seen him one more time. I could've told him that I love him. And now the last memory I have of my father is a stupid argument."

"Hey, hey," Nat said quietly while Brendan burst into tears again and fell into another hug. Alex awkwardly pushed himself in and joined the hug. When he did, Brendan wrapped his arms around both his friends while tears streamed down his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Nat walked into his and Alex's room after having breakfast and getting off the phone with Cooper. Their flight to Brendan's hometown was due to leave at 3:00, so he wanted to pack quickly. When he entered the room, he found Alex sitting at the computer listening to a song he didn't recognize.

"Hey, Alex, you packed yet?" Nat asked.

"Yep," replied Alex, pointing to his luggage, which lay next to the computer on his left.

"What song are you listening to?"

"It's a song from Brendan's favorite band."

Nat walked over to Alex and stood on his right, looking at the screen. "Oh, you mean that Evane thing?"

"I think it's pronounced 'Evanescence,'" Alex said. "And yeah, I was just looking at music videos of theirs on YouTube to see if there was a song that we could maybe play for Brendan while we're there with him. I know how much he would appreciate it."

"That's a good idea, man," Nat replied. "What song are you listening to now?"

"I just finished one called 'Going Under,' and now there's this one called 'My Immortal.' Let's see what it's all about."

Alex clicked on the video, which showed that it was black and white. When the music started playing, it immediately invoked a feeling of grief and turmoil. While they sat listening to it, Nat and Alex looked at each other, knowing that this was the song they would play for Brendan when they got to his hometown. When the song finished, Alex looked up at Nat.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, that's definitely the song," Nat replied, nodding. "See if you can find the music for it somewhere; Brendan mentioned that he once found their songs written out in music terms online before, so it shouldn't be too hard. I'm gonna pack some stuff and get ready to get out of here."

Alex nodded and opened a new tab on the computer and went straight to Google. Meanwhile, Nat was looking for some outfits to wear in Brendan's hometown and one for Brendan's father's funeral. Within fifteen minutes, he had all of his things packed and walked back over to Alex.

"Find anything?" he asked when he reached Alex's side again.

"Yep, I think I've found arrangements for all our parts. I think Thomas would probably have to switch to rhythm guitar, since there aren't any cello parts, and it would probably sound weird with it."

"That's cool; he's got a guitar he can use, I'll tell him to bring it."

"Other than that, it looks pretty simple. Mostly it's you on piano and vocals until the bridge, and then there's a hard rock part for a while in the final chorus, so it wouldn't be too hard to learn."

"Sweet," Nat said. "I think the sooner we play it for him, the better. I'll give him a call and let him know that we have a surprise for him, so that's why he won't see us until tonight."

* * *

That evening, Brendan arrived at the hotel where the band was staying, along with Jesse and Sonny, who had traveled with them to Brendan's hometown. After being told what room Nat and Alex were in, Brendan walked over to the elevator and pushed the button for that floor. When he arrived, he turned and walked in the direction of their room and knocked on door number 303. Nat answered the door.

"Hey, come on in, Brendan," he said, pulling the door back.

Brendan followed him into the room and closed the door behind him. Once the door was closed, Nat led him over to the beds, where Alex was twirling his drumsticks.

Before they could do anything, Brendan threw himself onto Nat in another hug. "I'm so glad you're here," he whispered in a slightly teary voice. Nat patted him on the back before Brendan broke it off. He then sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around Alex for a few moments. When they broke apart, Brendan seemed to finally notice Alex's drumsticks.

"What's with the drumsticks?" Brendan asked.

Nat and Alex grinned at each other. "It has to do with your surprise," Nat said, smiling. "Come on down to the lobby, everyone else is waiting for you in one of the ballrooms to give you your surprise."

"Okay…." said Brendan, unsure of what to make of the situation.

Nat and Alex led him out of the room and back to the elevator. A few minutes later, they reached the lobby and Nat motioned for Brendan to follow him and Alex.

"What's going on?" Brendan asked.

"You'll see," whispered Alex.

They led him over to one of the ballrooms where parties were often held. In the ballroom was the rest of the band, standing together, as if waiting for them to arrive. When the entered the room, Brendan ran up to the rest of the band and hugged them all individually, including Jesse and Sonny. When they all broke apart, Brendan looked over at Nat and Alex.

"So, what's my surprise?" he asked, still sounding uncertain.

"Guys, I think we've got a song to play for Brendan, don't we?" Nat said.

The rest of the band cheered and walked over to the front of the room, where a mini stage stood with their instruments waiting for them. Brendan sat down close to the stage with Cooper, Jesse and Sunny while the band got ready for their song. When they were all situated, Nat spoke into the microphone.

"Thanks to the staff of the hotel, we are able to put on this little show for you, Brendan. We're gonna play a song that we think you'll love very much."

"What song is it?" Brendan called back.

"One you probably know very well," Nat replied shortly.

A few seconds later, Nat played the opening piano part to _My Immortal_ by Evanescence. While he played, he kept his eyes on Brendan. Predictably, Brendan recognized the piano part immediately. He put a hand over his mouth in shock and looked at the others sitting with him, at a loss for words.

"I'm so tired of being here," Nat sang. "Suppressed by all my childish fears. And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave, 'cause your presence still lingers here. And it won't leave me alone."

At that, Nat played some more complex piano melodies as he continued singing.

"These wounds won't seem to heal. This pain is just too real. There's just too much that time cannot erase. When you cried I'd wipe away all of you tears. When you'd scream I'd fight away all of you fears. And I held your hand through all of these years, but you still have…..all of me."

Nat continued playing his piano part and looked at Brendan, who had both hands cupped on his face as he cried. He kept looking over at the others sitting with him, as though thinking it wasn't possible they were playing one of his favorite songs for him.

"You used to captivate me by your resonating light, and now I'm bound by the life you left behind. Your face it haunts, my once pleasant dreams. Your voice it chased away, all of the sanity in me."

"These wounds won't seem to heal. This pain is just too real. There's just too much that time cannot erase. When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears. When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears. And I held your hand through all of these years, but you still have…. all of me."

At this, Nat's piano parts gradually grew louder as they transitioned into the bridge. Alex started tapping on his cymbals in rhythm.

"I tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone. But thought you're still with me, I've been alone all along."

Suddenly, the rest of the band broke in with a hard rock melody as Nat carried that final lyric into the bridge. After a few seconds of this, Nat's vocals broke in again.

"When you cried I'd wipe away all of you tears. When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears. And I held your hand through all of these years, but you still have…."

At that, Alex hit the cymbals one final time as the band quieted down. When Nat was the only one still playing, he continued.

"All of me," he sang in a voice not much louder than a whisper. He repeated those three words as the song slowly faded to silence. When all was silent, Nat nodded and looked over at Brendan, who was cheering loudly for them, tears streaming down their face.

The band left their instruments and left the stage. Brendan was already running toward them with his arms outstretched, with Cooper, Jesse and Sonny in tow. They fell into a group hug that seemed to last forever. When they finally broke apart, Brendan stepped back and spoke to them all.

"That was the most beautiful cover of that song I've ever heard," he said in a shaky voice; his tears seemed to have run out. "I want to say a huge thank you to all of you for that wonderful surprise. And thank you all for coming here to be with me…"

At that, he broke down again. Alex pulled him toward them and pulled him into another hug. When they broke apart, Alex kept his arm around Brendan in a comforting manner while Nat spoke.

"Brendan, you've always been there for us when we needed it. The least we can do is do the same for you while you're going through this tough time. We're gonna be here with you the entire time, and if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask us."

"Hear, hear!" called David.

They fell into another group hug that lasted even longer than the last one. When they all finally broke apart, they silently walked back to their bedrooms, while Nat and Alex walked with Brendan to the front door.

"You sure you don't want to stay here?" Nat asked.

"No, it's okay. Cooper hired me a driver, so I can come and go as pleased. Besides, my family is expecting me back home. We're gonna work on funeral arrangements for Saturday. You guys gonna be okay here?"

"We'll be fine," said Alex. "You just let us know if we can do anything."

They reached the front door. "I will," Brendan said, before pulling them into another hug. "Thank you so much for that beautiful gift. I will never forget it."


	3. Chapter 3

Brendan sat in the living room of his aunt and uncle's house, where his family had gathered to spend the night before his father's funeral. Family members, as well as former co-workers and old friends of Brendan's father were huddled together in the living room, sharing memories.

"And we all know how much of a family man Henry was," said Brendan's uncle Rex. "He loved his wife and son very much. Brendan, how about you talk a little bit about your favorite memories with your father?"

"Uh…sure," Brendan said, hastily standing up from his spot on the couch and walking to the center of the living room. "Well, you know, Dad was…." he said, unsure of what to say.

"I remember there was this one time that…You know, I'm really not comfortable doing this now. Mom, can I speak with you privately," he added, motioning for his mother to follow him into an adjacent room.

Brendan's mother walked through the crowd of people and followed him into the room. When she closed the door, she turned and saw Brendan pacing the room with an anxious expression on his face.

"Brendan, are you all right? You look so pale," she said in a concerned voice.

"No, I'm not all right. Now, look, I need to tell you something. Did Dad talk to you about that picnic thing his work was putting on?"

"He just said that you weren't sure yet whether you wanted to come and that he would ask you again later."

"So you didn't hear the conversation we had?"

"No I didn't. Brendan, what's going on?"

Brendan sighed before answering. "I yelled at Dad, Mom."

"What do you mean?"

"When he asked me to come to the picnic with you guys, I told him no."

"You didn't want to come with us?" his Mom asked.

"No, it's not that, it's just that Dad knew that I didn't like those things and he didn't seem to understand why I didn't want to go."

"Was that the only reason you didn't want to go?"

"No, I wanted to spend some time with my friends because we hadn't seen each other for a long time. I thought you might've understood that, but I just didn't have the guts to say that to Dad!"

"Well, your father wasn't an easy man to say 'no' to."

"Well, maybe not. But the last memory I have of my father is arguing with him."

"Brendan," his mother said. "What do you think would have happened if you told your father that you wanted to spend time with your friends?"

"I don't know!" Brendan exclaimed, resuming his pacing of the room. "He probably would have understood."

His Mom chuckled. "I don't think we're talking about the same Dad."

Brendan turned and looked at her. "What do you think would've happened?"

"He would have said, 'What do you mean you want to spend time with your friends? You get to spend the whole summer with them and you see them at school. Now, you're going with us to this picnic and we're leaving at 1100 hours sharp tomorrow morning!'"

"Yeah, that does sound like Dad," Brendan replied in a small voice.

"Oh, he always had to have things his way. It could be twenty below zero outside and he'd still want the window open when we went to bed," his Mom replied, walking over to Brendan and standing next to him.

"And you remember that time he went in for surgery, he yelled at the surgeon because the tools weren't shiny enough."

"Then he told the doctor to drop and give him twenty right there on the operating table."

"I guess Dad could be pushy."

"He was pushy," his Mom said, walking to a desk that was near them. Brendan noticed a picture from his father's high school graduation on the desk. "He was stubborn, he was hotheaded and he drove me crazy." She picked up the photo on the desk and looked at it. "And I miss him so much," she said as she started crying.

Brendan rushed over to her, tears streaming down his own face. When he reached her, he put his arms around her. "Oh, Mom, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Now, Brendan, you have always been a wonderful son and the last thing your father would want is for you to torture yourself over a silly little argument."

"I love you, Mom," Brendan whispered.

"I love you too, honey," his Mom replied, wiping the tears from her face. "Listen, since I know how much your friends mean to you, so I want you to stay with them tonight."

"Are you sure?"

"I think you're father would like that. He knew how much you loved your friends and what you would do for them. He also said he was so proud that you found friends who you care about and who care so much about you."

* * *

An hour later, Brendan arrived at the hotel after the driver Cooper had hired for him picked him up and drove him. He went to the elevator and pressed the button for the floor where the rest of the band was. When he reached Nat and Alex's door, he knocked on it softly. Alex came to the door.

"Brendan!" he exclaimed, clearly surprised, and hugging Brendan. "What are you doing here?"

"My Mom said I should stay with you guys tonight."

"Why's that?" Nat said while Alex opened the door to let Brendan in.

"She says my dad knew how much you all meant to me and that he would have wanted me to be with you guys tonight before the funeral."

Nat nodded in understanding. "Of course. You can stay here tonight. Alex and I can share a bed."

"Yeah, yeah," Alex added. "No problem, as long as you don't snore."

"Alex…" Nat said while Brendan laughed.

"And that's why I decided to come here tonight, so I can be surrounded by that humor before the funeral tomorrow."

"You gonna go with us there, then?" asked Nat.

"Yeah, my Mom said just to come with you guys, and that she'll get a ride from one of my relatives who are here."

Nat nodded again. "Listen, I'm gonna go check in with everyone else and tell them you're here. I'll let Cooper know to make sure we've got a vehicle big enough for us. Give me about twenty minutes."

Brendan nodded as Nat left the room. He and Alex both hopped on a bed. Alex grabbed his drumsticks and started beating them in a rhythm while Brendan pulled out a notebook from one of their bags and started writing something on it.

About five minutes later, Alex asked, "What are you working on?"

"My eulogy for tomorrow."

"A eulogy? What's that?"

"Basically a reading of memories about the person whose died. It's a way of remembering some of the good times to share with everyone there. My Mom and I are both reading one during the service."

"How's yours coming?"

"Not too good. I wish I was like you guys and could just write a song or something…. Wait a second, would you guys mind if I performed one of your songs?"

"Can you play piano?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, I can, I took lessons up until a year ago."

"Of course you can sing one of our songs. Why song did you have in mind?"

"Well, actually it's one of your songs, Alex."

"One of my songs?"

"Yeah. It's one of my favorites that you guys have done, and I know Dad liked it, too."

"Which song?"

"Changing."

Alex smiled and nodded. "You should do that one. I think your Dad would have loved to hear you sing it. Want me to teach it to you?"

"Better late than never," Brendan replied.

For the next fifteen minutes, Alex helped Brendan learn the piano parts to _Changing_. Brendan knew the lyrics by heart, so it was just a matter of him learning how the two went together. When they were nearly finished, Nat returned.

"Everyone else is asleep and they'll meet us downstairs for breakfast at seven in pajamas before we come back upstairs and get ready for the funeral. Driver will be here at 9 to take us to the parlor. What are you guys working on?"

"I'm helping Brendan learn one of my songs," Alex replied.

"What song?"

"Changing."

"Why do you want to learn that song, Brendan?"

Brendan was too focused on replaying the piano parts on the picture of the piano he and Alex had drawn, so Alex answered.

"He wants to play it for his Dad tomorrow instead of giving a soology."

Nat chuckled. "I think you mean 'eulogy.'"

"He does," Brendan said, looking up from the drawing and smiling. "I think I've got it down. Thanks, Alex."

"No problem."

"So, you're gonna play a song for your Dad, huh?" Nat asked, sitting on the bed next to them.

"Yeah, it's one of my favorite songs by you guys and I know Dad liked it."

"I think it's great," Nat said, giving Brendan a warm smile.

"Listen, guys," said Brendan. "You guys have been so great."

"What do you mean?" asked Alex.

"You guys took care of everything. You took care of the traveling, you took care of getting the band here so fast, you took care of me."

"We did what we had to, didn't even think twice about it," said Nat.

"But that's what makes it so great. Is that I know I can count on you when I need you the most."

"I'm just sorry we had to be reminded of that on such a sad occasion."

"Thank you, Nat. And thank you, Alex. I don't know if I could have done all this without you guys."

"Well, Brendan, you're one of our best friends. You're part of a band as much as everyone else is. You've always been there for us when we needed you. It's about time we return the favor."

Brendan nodded, tears streaming down his face, as he pulled the brothers into another hug. They remained that way for some time, before finally breaking apart, and in Brendan's case, laying down on the bed, and Nat and Alex's, walking over to their own bed and preparing to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Brendan sat with his mother while the pastor talked about his father's life. Sitting behind them was the band, Jesse, Cooper and Sonny, all of whom were dressed in their best outfits for the funeral.

When the time came for speeches from family members, Brendan's mother stood up and walked to the front of the chapel. She seemed overcome by tears, but managed to give her speech before she sat back down crying. After his Mom sat down, Brendan stood up and walked up to the front of the chapel, where a piano was waiting for him. Before he took his spot, however, he turned and spoke to the crowd through the microphone he was handed.

"Instead of giving a speech, I'm going to sing a little song that I know my Dad was pretty fond of. It's a song by the band I'm the head of security for, and was written by my dear friend, Alex Wolff, who's kindly allowed me to play it for you all as a tribute to my Dad. This is _Changing_."

Brendan took his place at the piano. Right before he started playing, he glanced and Nat and Alex and smiled at them, nodding. They returned the smile as Brendan played the opening notes of _Changing_.

"Personality," Brendan sang, "Immortality. I saw it's raining outside, it's raining outside, you're changing. Personality. Rationality. Your fame has died, you think that you cried and you're gone. And I'm waiting. I'm slaving for this moment I just can't wait anymore."

"Changing. Waiting. Changing. Waiting."

"The big style isn't worth the while. She screams at me, it seems to be that we're fading. All my photographs, all the perfect laughs, are gone from me it seems to be that we're changing."

While the music kept building, Brendan's singing got louder.

"Personality. Rationality. Your fame has died and you think that you cried and you're gone. And I'm waiting. I'm slaving for this moment, I just can't wait anymore."

"Changing. Waiting."

As Brendan repeated the final two words, the audience copied him and sang the words right after he did. Slowly, the song faded into nothingness and Brendan played the final few notes on the piano.

When he was done, Brendan stood from the piano while everyone in the room gave him a standing ovation. He stepped down from the podium and walked back over to his mother, who was overcome with tears. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. When they broke apart, Brendan noticed the band had come up behind them, still clapping loudly for him. After he and his mother broke apart, Brendan rushed into Nat and Alex's outstretched arms and embraced them in a hug before the rest of the band joined them and they fell into a group hug. When they finally broke apart, Brendan sat down next to his mother again, with the band joining them.

While the service continued, Brendan realized that he was going to be all right, as long as he had his friends with him. He also knew that she had a point, his father did know how much his friends meant to him, and he realized that nothing on Earth was higher than that.


End file.
